Calling the Palmetto Class of 1980 — it’s reunion time!

Hard as it is to believe for the alumni, it’s time for the Palmetto High Class of 1980 to have its 30-year reunion.

Former class president Jamie Wasser is looking for alumni who might have missed the notification about the reunion, which will take place May 28-29 in Coconut Grove at the Courtyard Marriott, 2649 South Bayshore Drive, which was the old Doubletree Hotel until the recent change of ownership.

“Hopefully, this reunion will bring people together,” Wasser says, adding that she hopes to reunite the group and talk about what everyone’s done in the last 30 years.

Wasser says the class didn’t have a lot of people who went on to be famous, but it was a good class because they had a lot of active, involved people. However, she hopes this reunion will be different and that people will drop the identity of jock or homecoming queen and talk about their lives today.

“It’s not about who we were then,” Wasser says, “it’s about who we are now; it’s 30 years later. We all have 30 years of life stories. This is a good time to meet people. It’s a great way to make contacts. It’s a great social networking thing as well.”

The cost for the reunion is $145 per person for the weekend.

“Friday night is light fare and there will be a cash bar and by the pool,” she says. “Saturday there is going to be an open bar and we’re going to have food stations and a casual cocktail party feel.”

The idea is that a more casual event with food stations will allow for more socializing than having everyone sit at tables of 10. The casual atmosphere will be bolstered by music and dancing.

“We’re expecting 120 to 130 people and folks are coming in from everywhere, as far as England and Seattle, from all over the country and all around the state of Florida,” Wasser says. “Because of Facebook, there’s a big buzz about this. Facebook has been reuniting people. It’s also cutting the boundaries of the cliques.”

The reunion page on Facebook has been up for quite some time and that has helped bring attention to the Class of ’80 reunion. Alumni not only learned about the event on Facebook, many have used the PayPal link to immediately pay the registration and attendance fee.

Information is also posted on < www.Classmates.com > and on the official Palmetto High School website.

For more information, go to MPHS Class of 1980 Reunion on Facebook. Checks must be received by May 21.